COMMUNITY RESEARCH (CR) CORE The CR Core recognizes that community-based collaboration is necessary for the successful conduct of HIV prevention research. Furthermore, for HIV prevention and intervention research to be relevant and of benefit to the communities in which it is conducted, it must be undertaken with the support of and in collaboration with community-based organizations (CBOs) working with at-risk populations. Such collaborations significantly enhance the quality of the science being conducted. The Core therefore aims to promote the development of new and support ongoing community based research conducted by CIRA scientists. It will accomplish these goals by: keeping CIRA scientists informed of community research priorities, community expertise, and current scholarship on the design, methods, and theories of CBR;developing research capacity of local CBOs and enhancing the potential for collaboration with CIRA scientists through the Community Research Partnership Program (CRPP);strengthening the capacity of scientists and community research partners to conduct translational research;and assisting in the dissemination of research findings by increasing their accessibility to the scientific and non-scientific communities. The Core will run a consultation program, providing required pre-affiliation consultations prior to grant submission for all projects involving community based research and post-award dissemination consultations for all CIRA affiliated research, as well as responding to investigator initiated requests for consultations at any time. One focus of these consultations will be on linking scientists with community partners. Ad-hoc groups of community-university collaborators will be formed to respond to relevant RFAs. The CRPP is a competitive program in which community based organizations (CBOs) receive pilot funding for projects conducted in collaboration with CIRA scientists. It is expected that these projects will build community research capacity and lead to publications and/or to the development of independent, extramurally funded collaborative research projects by CIRA Scientists. Assistance with translational research will include Core consultations, capacity building workshops, and bibliographic resources. In addition to consultations, dissemination activities will include implementation of the intensive dissemination projects on selected topics and compilation of an annual Research Summary. ," These activities will lead to further expansion in the number of community based research projects being conducted at CIRA and more publications based on them.